TED Talks Daily What crows teach us about death | Kaeli Swift
Oct 31, 2020
Wildlife researcher Kaeli Swift dives into the fascinating world of crows and their captivating rituals surrounding death. She highlights how crows engage in behaviors that reflect emotional responses similar to humans, expanding our understanding of mortality. Further, Swift discusses the emerging field of comparative thanatology, examining how various species, including elephants and bees, approach death. Her insights prompt profound questions about grief and social learning in the animal kingdom, revealing what we might learn from these intelligent birds.
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Tahlequah's Grief
- Tahlequah, an orca, carried her dead calf for 17 days in 2018.
- This unusual behavior raises questions about orca grief and behavior around death.
Crow Funerals
- Crows show complex behaviors around death, including alarm calls and "mobs".
- Sometimes, they also hold silent vigils or place objects near the deceased.
Masked Threat Experiment
- Kaeli Swift conducted an experiment where masked individuals handled dead crows.
- Crows recognized and treated these masked individuals as threats later, demonstrating their ability to learn and associate danger.